OR-Health Policy Board Recommendations

The board found:

• Oregon should build an exchange that meets Oregon's needs rather than have the federal government build an exchange. Building the exchange gives Oregon much greater flexibility to ensure the exchange works for Oregon's individual consumers and small businesses. It allows the state to decide how it is run and who oversees the exchange.
• Oregon's exchange should be a tool to promote health system reform, This is part of a larger set of Oregon Health Policy Board goals for payment reform, system redesign, and more, all of which will help lower or contain the rising cost of health care.
• The exchange will promote access to affordable health care coverage for more than 350,000 Oregonians. This includes an estimated 150,000 previously uninsured Oregonians that will gain coverage through the exchange. Thousands more will gain coverage through the exchange as small employer groups.
• To ensure it can offer the highest quality, most affordable coverage options and is consumer oriented, the exchange must have the authority to set high standards and to work with health insurance carriers to make this happen.